Love's Unending Legacy

- HEY, MR. BARTENDER. -

I'LL SEE YOU.

- COME HERE, DARLIN'! - READ 'EM.

- SHERIFF! - EVENING, SHERIFF.

PLEASURE DOING BUSINESS--

SHERIFF!

MAMA, IT'S GETTING LATE.

COME HERE BY MAMA.

DO YOU THINK...

PA AND KATHY ARE WATCHING OVER US?

YES, SWEETHEART. I DO.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO THEM BEFORE WE GO?

I LOVE YOU,

AND I MISS YOU EVERY DAY.

WHY DON'T YOU GO ON AHEAD?

I'LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE, OK?

IT SEEMS WRONG TO LEAVE YOU HERE, WILLIE...

AND I KNOW THAT YOU AND KATHY WILL LOOK AFTER EACH OTHER.

AND NO MATTER HOW FAR AWAY I AM,

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART.

I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN.

- PA AND I ARE GOING TO PENNSYLVANIA

TO SEE MY SISTER AND HER HUSBAND.

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO VISIT?

WE'RE NOT VISITING ANYONE.

WE'RE GOING TO LIVE WITH MY GRANDPA AND GRANDMA.

YOU'RE LEAVING HOME?

- MY PA WAS THE SHERIFF OF TEDSFORD JUNCTION.

HE GOT HIMSELF KILLED A COUPLE YEARS BACK.

GOSH, I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT.

OH, LOOK, MATTIE.

HO! WHOA!

- HEY! HEY! - HEY, PA!

- COME HERE. I MISSED YOU. - OH, I MISSED YOU SO MUCH.

- COME HERE, YOUNG MAN. - GRANDPA!

- GO AHEAD. -

GRANDMA!

- MY, MY, MY, MATTIE. HOW YOU HAVE GROWN.

AND LOOKING MORE LIKE YOUR FATHER WITH EVERY YEAR.

YOU REALLY THINK SO, GRANDMA?

I REALLY DO, SWEETIE.

I BET YOU'RE HOT AND THIRSTY.

THERE'S FRESH-CHURNED BUTTERMILK INSIDE.

- ALL RIGHT! -

MM.

WELCOME HOME, MISSIE.

IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME, MAMA.

I JUST WISH--

I KNOW, I KNOW.

- ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE WHAT YOU DO NOW.

YOUR MOVE.

- YEAH, RIGHT. KING ME.

- SOMEBODY'S BEEN PRACTICING.

YES, I HAVE.

- YOUR FATHER FOUND YOU A HOUSE IN TOWN.

IT'S SMALL, AND IT NEEDS SOME WORK,

BUT IT'S NEAR THE SCHOOL, AND THE RENT IS REASONABLE.

- GOOD. ON MY TEACHER'S PAY, I CAN'T AFFORD MUCH.

- I REALLY WISH YOU'D RECONSIDER STAYING WITH US,

AT LEAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

- DO YOU NEED THE HELP, MAMA? - NO.

- I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND POP WANTING

TO HELP ME AND MATTIE.

BUT I NEED TO STAND ON MY OWN TWO FEET RIGHT NOW.

MATTIE NEEDS TO SEE THAT EVEN THOUGH HIS DADDY'S GONE,

HE STILL HAS ONE PARENT STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF HIM.

THE OTHER DAY, MATTIE ASKED ME

WHAT COLOR HIS FATHER'S EYES WERE.

COULDN'T REMEMBER.

- MATTIE MIGHT FORGET DETAILS LIKE THAT,

BUT HE WON'T FORGET THE THINGS HIS FATHER DID WITH HIM

OR THE THINGS WILLIE TAUGHT HIM.

- I'M STARTING TO FORGET LITTLE THINGS ABOUT WILLIE TOO.

LIKE THAT LAST MORNING,

WHEN WE SAID GOODBYE,

DID I KISS HIM?

I--I THINK I DID, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER.

IT'S ONLY BEEN THREE YEARS, MAMA.

JUST LIKE WITH MATTIE,

YOU'LL REMEMBER THE THINGS THAT MATTERED.

LIKE HOW MUCH YOU AND WILLIE LOVED EACH OTHER.

- NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE ME THAT WAY AGAIN.

AND I WILL NEVER LOVE ANYONE ELSE.

I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING TRULY HAPPY AGAIN.

- THAT'S HOW I FELT WHEN MY FIRST HUSBAND DIED.

AND THEN I MET YOUR FATHER.

- SEE, I FEEL IF I WERE TO LOVE SOMEONE ELSE,

THAT I WOULD BE BETRAYING WILLIE IN SOME WAY.

- WILLIE WOULD WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY.

- [making kiss noises, clicking tongue]

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF WORK,

BUT I CAN HELP YOU OUT WITH THAT, MISSIE.

- THAT'S ALL RIGHT, PA, IT'S GOING TO BE JUST FINE.

MATTIE...

LOOK WHAT I FOUND.

IT'S OUR CHRISTMAS STAR.

I PROMISE YOU, MATTIE,

I WILL MAKE THIS INTO A NICE PLACE.

IT WON'T BE LIKE HOME, THOUGH.

- DO YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES A HOUSE A HOME?

NO.

- HOME IS WHERE YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE A PLACE,

WHERE YOU WILL ALWAYS FEEL LOVED,

AND WHERE YOU WILL NEVER, EVER BE ALONE.

IT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE IT NOW, MATTIE,

BUT THIS PLACE WILL COME TO FEEL LIKE HOME.

COME HERE.

- O LORD, HOW MANIFOLD ARE YOUR WORKS.

WE THANK YOU FOR THE SUN AND THE RAIN

WHICH HELP NOURISH THE CROPS

AND HELP THEM GROW INTO SUSTENANCE

FOR OUR MINDS AND BODIES.

IN WISDOM, YOU HAVE MADE THEM ALL.

AMEN. all: AMEN!

I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.

I RECEIVED THIS NOTICE FROM

THE CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY OF NEW YORK.

"WANTED, HOMES FOR CHILDREN.

"A COMPANY OF HOMELESS CHILDREN FROM THE EAST

"WILL ARRIVE ON FRIDAY.

"THESE CHILDREN ARE OF VARIOUS AGES AND OF BOTH SEXES

"HAVING BEEN THROWN FRIENDLESS UPON THE WORLD.

"WE SEEK GOOD HOMES WITH DECENT FAMILIES

WHO WILL LOVE THEM AS THEIR OWN."

DISTRIBUTION OF THESE CHILDREN WILL TAKE PLACE

RIGHT HERE AT THE CHURCH.

I KNOW I CAN COUNT ON ALL OF YOU TO OPEN YOUR HEARTS

TO THESE PRECIOUS CHILDREN OF GOD.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

- PASTOR JOE. EXCUSE ME. HI...

- WELL, I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT YOU, MISSIE.

OH, ALL GOOD, I TRUST?

- YOUR FATHER THINKS THE WORLD OF YOU.

SEEMS WE'RE NEIGHBORS.

MY HUSBAND AND I ARE JUST TWO FARMS AWAY FROM YOUR NEW HOUSE.

- ALL RIGHT, SEE YOU TOMORROW MORNING.

- PASTOR. - AH, MRS. PETTIS.

- MORNING, SHERIFF. - SHERIFF.

- WE MISSED YOU AT SUNDAY SERVICES TODAY.

COME ON, NOW.

CLARA... - HE SHOULD BE COMING, HONEY.

- WELL, THAT'S HIS CHOICE, NOW. - I KNOW, I KNOW.

- WE'LL SEE YA. - BYE-BYE.

- SHERIFF TYLER COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO ATTEND CHURCH...

AGAIN.

- WELL, HE'S PRETTY BUSY KEEPING THE PEACE.

EVERY SUNDAY...

- WE SHOULD BE GOING, MRS. PETTIS.

- WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR HUSBAND HAD A REASON

FOR NOT SHOWING HIS FACE IN CHURCH AS WELL.

- THERE IS MUCH WORK TO BE DONE ON A FARM,

AND WE CAN'T AFFORD HIRED HELP.

IF MY HUSBAND DOESN'T DO THE WORK,

WE DON'T EAT COME WINTER.

- GOOD DAY, MA'AM. I'M SHERIFF TYLER.

- HELLO, SHERIFF. I'M MRS. LAHAYE.

YES, I KNOW.

SMALL TOWN. WORD GETS AROUND.

I HEARD ABOUT THE NEW TEACHER.

OH, WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU HEARD?

- WELL, YOUR FOLKS ARE CLARK AND MARTY DAVIS,

AND YOU HAVE A LITTLE BOY.

MATTIE.

MATTIE.

PLEASURE TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE, MRS. LAHAYE.

- MM. - CAN I HAVE SOME MORE, GRANDMA?

MATTIE.

- IT'S ALL RIGHT, MISSIE. SURE YOU CAN.

YOU SPOIL HIM.

- OF COURSE I DO. IT'S MY JOB AS A GRANDMA.

SO TELL ME MORE ABOUT THIS ORPHAN TRAIN

PASTOR JOE WAS TALKING ABOUT.

- NOW, MARTY, YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT WELL ENOUGH

TO BE CHASING AFTER A CHILD.

I WILL BE SOON.

- WELL, FOR NOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LET OTHER PEOPLE

HANDLE THAT RESPONSIBILITY.

- WOULD YOU CONSIDER TAKING IN ONE OF THOSE CHILDREN?

YEAH, MOM!

THEN I GET TO HAVE A BROTHER OR SISTER.

- NO. - BUT ALL MY FRIENDS HAVE

A BUNCH OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

BUT SINCE KATHY DIED, I'VE HAD NONE.

I'M SORRY, MAMA.

IT'S ALL RIGHT, MATTIE.

IT'S GOOD TO TALK ABOUT HER.

WE DON'T WANT TO FORGET HER, RIGHT?

RIGHT.

- HERE THEY COME.

DON'T STAND SO CLOSE.

BUT I'M SCARED, LINDY.

- I TOLD YOU. GET AWAY FROM ME.

FOLKS DON'T WANT A BROTHER AND SISTER.

WHOA.

- OH, LOOK HE'S SO CUTE. DON'T YOU THINK?

- YOU MEAN THE ONE ON THE RIGHT OR ON THE LEFT?

- YEAH. - GOOD DAY, MRS. LAHAYE.

OH, SHERIFF.

- YOU GOING TO TAKE ONE OF THESE KIDS?